Mike and Carol

You haven’t mentioned where you might want to be camping. If you stay in Florida you should be okay with a Ranger. If you head north into the mountains in north GA and the Carolinas you will be less fine. Mountains and elevation in the west will be much more challenging. Payload capacities for trucks on the lot are usually much less than what is advertised. Once you add any options the payload decreases. I don’t know what the gas tank size is for a Ranger, but figure about 12 mpg at best and see how far you can go. Yes, you can always upgrade but probably at a higher cost than just starting out with a half ton. Have you considered an F150 or other brand 1500 without all the bells and whistles? Of course Oliver says you will be fine with a Ranger. “Fine” means a properly equipped Ranger will pull and Oliver. Again, a smaller truck means more work, less margin for error, less payload, less range. The decision needs to be what’s best for you and your current situation. If it’s a Ranger, go for it! Don’t let a truck decision spoil your Oliver acquisition process…. Mike

Wish it was more. It’s our limiting factor when boondocking.

My trailer weighed right at 5100 lbs with full 30lb propane tanks but empty water tanks when it came off the factory floor. Add water and our stuff and we’re close to 6000 lbs. If you are getting a new truck I would look larger than a Ranger. It’s a nice truck but you’d be at the towing limits and would not be enjoying the ride while towing, especially in areas that aren’t level. I started with a Tacoma and quickly upgraded to a half ton. Now I’m in a 2500. The difference? Towing is much less work, driving range is increased and what I carry in the truck (payload) is not a concern. Gas tank size and payload capacity should be major factors in your decision. Mike

We’ve been using the TST TPMS for 5 years or so and have been happy with it. No repeater necessary. Mike

We each have differing thoughts on how to use our trailers. We bought ours to use and go wherever we want whenever we want. I’ve got some nicks and chips on the front from gravel roads and I have a less than pristine undercarriage due to some snow driving. But, we’ve had fun and our 6 year old trailer still looks new and will continue to be used for travel adventures. We had someone walk by while we were in Branson last month and asked about the age of our Oliver, when I told them they were surprised it wasn’t new - and that was with bugs on the front and mud and dirt on the sides after traveling through Colorado and northern New Mexico. These trailers are sturdy and clean up well! Just go camping!! Mike

Wow! Glad you are okay. Will be very interested in what might have been the cause! Mike

Our son in Colorado (born in Honolulu) has a 2021 Power Wagon and is towing a 23’ No Boundaries trailer. He doesn’t use a WDH and has had no problems towing all around Colorado and Utah. You should be fine without the Andersen. We used an Andersen with our other smaller trucks, but with our Ram 2500 it really isn’t needed at all. If you aren’t going to boondock much the AGM batteries should be fine. We used them for 5 years while boondocking a lot with no issues. Mike

We have 30lb tanks. A 30lb tank has 7 gallons of propane. A 20lb tank has 5 gallons of propane. Not a lot of difference. The 30lb is heavier and difficult to lift over the tank enclosure when full. I usually get on a step to help get it over the lip. Bill’s points are valid about getting a 20lb tank filled or exchanged at many more locations than a 30lb. We’ve never run out of propane. I have had one tank go empty a few times and we switched to the full until we got home. That’s for a 4 to 6 week trip in the winter. I’m not sure I’d go with 30 pounders if I went back in time when we were ordering. I’ve got a couple of 20lb tanks around I use for grills and fire pits. When it comes time to replace the larger tanks I’ll probably go with 20lb tanks. Mike

Spanning the area between the twin beds doesn’t take advantage of the full space since the nightstand is there. Plus, there is the issue of cushions/mattress to make the area level. The “Twin Bed Conversion” post above is mine and after a year or so of experimenting with it we don’t really use it anymore, at least not the last couple of years. We don’t have big dogs, but it might get a little crowded with a big dog in a twin (30”) bed. Mike

Interesting hot water tank location. Does that give a pass through storage in the back?

Chris’s, welcome! Looks like you got a collectors item with Hull 45. Here we are in 2021 and side by side folks would be challenged to tell any difference between yours and a new trailer rolling out of the factory. It would be interesting to know if after you detail it, or get it detailed if the shine comes back! Mike

I’ve shown our trailer a couple of times in the last month or so. Once at home and once while camping. My risk assessment is that the risk is very low. We enjoy meeting like minded people and being able to help folks in their decision making process. YMMV. Mike

I think what I have is the Easy Start. It’s the one that was being installed at the early rally’s. I had Oliver install mine a few years ago. Mike

Let me add my congratulations to John’s and Sherry’s. This is a good place to find answers to what you are wondering about. Glad to have you! Mike

Hey Steve and Mary Allyn, congrats from Fair Oaks Ranch just to your north. Hopefully you’ve had your questions answered by posts on the forum, if not, ask away! Mike

Agree. I’ve got the soft start and a Champion 2K Watt generator that runs the AC fine. Mike

Hey Don, welcome back! That looks like quite a trailer. Some good stuff coming out of Australia! Please keep us posted on how it goes after you pick it up. Mike

Our logo is 23.5” in diameter.

Looks like a nice campground for relaxing! Mike

Yep! I scratched my head for a minute or two when I had a similar situation and then figured that was going to be it and it was. Glad it was only that for you, too. You should be back to normal. Mike

I’m sure someone smarter than I am will give you some ideas. My understanding is that all the 12V stuff works off the batteries, so if lights work while connected to AC the batteries should have some charge. Check under the street side bed where your Blue Sky box is and there are two big circuit breakers, make sure one or both isn’t tripped (there will be a red “flag” sticking out if tripped, just push it back in). I recall once when I had no 12V and it was because of one of those breakers. Not sure why it tripped, happened just once in almost 6 years. Mike

I wish I could tell you that after a few trips you won’t forget to open/close that valve. We still forget occasionally! It’s on our departure checklist so we usually remember to close it for travel, but setting up can sometimes have distractions and we realize we forgot to open it when our feet get wet while brushing our teeth! 🤣

I tow with a full fresh tank mainly to have water available on the road and especially if we’re going to dry camp. I also tow with various levels in the gray and black (except when we’re starting a trip). Sometimes you can’t dump until you arrive at the next location or somewhere on the road. To be honest, I’ve never noticed any real difference with full tanks, empty tanks or partially full tanks. After dry camping, the fresh tank is less, gray and black more. I think it is a testimony to the Oliver design of flat tanks positioned well. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. Mike

Yes, we spoke to her and she told us that she had a cousin with an Oliver! She didn’t ask for a tour, but seemed very nice. We like Table Rock State Park and visiting Branson. My grandparents lived there starting in the 60s through the 90s. Branson was a hole in the wall back then! Mike

We use our cell booster. It usually gives us an additional bar. I can’t imagine eating a meal on a Lagun table while sitting on the bed. Unless you have long legs your feet might dangle if you have an optional mattress. I’m sure there are those who have done it and maybe they can chime in. Mike